Section List

LETRS Volume 2 (Units 5-8) Cohort 1 2025-2026 (Day 2 of 4)  

December 11, 2025

• ESU 10 - T&L
• Kennicutt, Claudine

Teachers matter more to student achievement than any other aspect of schooling. Teachers need professional development that provides deeper knowledge, skills, and practice to successfully address reading difficulties.

• Understanding the content and methodology of research-based, explicit, structured literacy instruction

• Deep knowledge of the cognitive and language factors that shape student learning and of pedagogical detail

• Information about how to differentiate instruction to meet the needs of all student

LETRS Volume 2 (Units 5-8) Cohort 2 2025-2026 (Day 2 of 4)  

December 12, 2025

• ESU 10 - T&L
• Kennicutt, Claudine

Teachers matter more to student achievement than any other aspect of schooling. Teachers need professional development that provides deeper knowledge, skills, and practice to successfully address reading difficulties.

• Understanding the content and methodology of research-based, explicit, structured literacy instruction

• Deep knowledge of the cognitive and language factors that shape student learning and of pedagogical detail

• Information about how to differentiate instruction to meet the needs of all student

Tier 1 Curriculum Implementation Support - Winter  

January 5, 2026

• ESU 10 - T&L
• Steinbrink, Dianah

Join us for our collaborative, district-wide support days targeting Tier 1 Instruction through curriculum and instructional materials implementation to ensure grade-level learning.

Each day will be designed based on trends from a needs assessment sent to registered participants. While some sessions will include instruction from ESU 10 presenters, a majority of each day will be spent on facilitated work time and collaboration. There will be opportunities to collaborate with like instructional materials and similar grade levels.

• High-Quality Instructional Materials Lesson Planning & Unit Internalization: Understand the design of the materials to prepare for strengthening student engagement and learning.

• Increase Understanding of Standards and Rigor: Deepen knowledge of standards and align instruction to promote rigor and meet grade-level expectations.

• Enhance Instructional Practices: Implement evidence-based strategies for strong, engaging, and differentiated instruction.

• Scaffolding and Support: Learn how to scaffold lessons effectively and utilize inclusive practices to support all learners.

• Expectations of Use, Curriculum Development, & Content-Area Vision: Define clear, actionable expectations for content area curriculum and instructional materials across your district.

This day is ideal for educators, specialists and district leaders seeking to enhance Tier 1 Instruction through curriculum and instructional materials implementation to ensure grade-level learning.

Winter Mental Health Cadre Meeting 25-26  

January 8, 2026

• ESU 10 - T&L
• Walters, Amy

The winter cadre meeting will focus on resources and topics for school counselors. Sarah Haahr, ESU 10 Behavior Specialist will present on "Compassion Over Compliance."  Malinda Jean Baptiste, Nebraska Department of Education School Counseling Specialist, will also be in attendance to share best practices and resources related to current events in the field. Participants will engage in interactive learning experiences and build supportive professional connections.

Title 1 Monitoring Visit Support Day 2026  

January 12, 2026

• ESU 10 - T&L
• Stukey, Heather

This day is designed to support those districts who will have a Title 1 monitoring visit during the 2025-26 school year. Time will be spent discussing the upcoming monitoring visit, completing documentation, and organizing artifacts.

Early Childhood Teacher Academy 2025-26  

January 16, 2026

• ESU 10 - ADMIN
• Puncochar, Libbie

Building Strong Foundations: Literacy-Rich Preschool Environments and Interactive Read-Alouds and Classroom Quality Tools

This session is ideal for preschool teachers, instructional coaches, and program leaders committed to strengthening early literacy practices through high-quality, engaging instruction.

 A strong foundation in early literacy begins with intentional, engaging, and developmentally appropriate practices in the preschool classroom. This workshop is designed to help early childhood educators create and sustain literacy-rich environments that support young children’s language and literacy development.

Participants will explore how to thoughtfully design classroom spaces and daily routines to promote literacy through meaningful access to books, writing materials, environmental print, and child-adult interactions. A special focus will be placed on planning and facilitating interactive read-alouds that promote vocabulary development, comprehension skills, and rich conversation.

The workshop will also introduce educators to two key tools that support high-quality instruction:
    *The ECERS-3 (Early Childhood Environment Rating Scale, 3rd Edition) literacy-related indicators, with a focus on books and book areas, language interactions, and support for early writing.
    *The ELLCO (Early Language and Literacy Classroom Observation) tool, which offers a detailed lens for evaluating and improving classroom language and literacy practices.

Educators will engage in reflection, planning, and collaborative discussions to connect these tools with their daily teaching practice.

By the end of this workshop, participants will be able to:
    *Identify key elements of a literacy-rich preschool environment aligned with ECERS-3 indicators
    *Plan and implement engaging interactive read-alouds that support language and literacy growth
    *Use the ELLCO tool to assess and improve classroom literacy practices
    *Reflect on current classroom setups and instruction to make actionable improvements

Special Education Quarterly Meeting - January, 2026  

January 21, 2026 @ 9:00 AM

• ESU 10 - SPED
• Reeves, Courtney

Join us as we continue to build on the “Golden Thread”—strengthening the connection between eligibility, meaningful service minutes, and the alignment of services and supports to student needs. Led by Jon Paul Burden, this session will focus on writing purposeful goals, determining appropriate service minutes, and ensuring decisions support each student’s success in the least restrictive environment (LRE).

Deadline for registration January 14, 2026, which is one week prior to meeting.  

Fundamentals of Literacy - Regional Coaching Roadshow (Day 4 of 4)  

January 23, 2026

• ESU 10 - T&L
• Kennicutt, Claudine

Literacy coaches serve a critical role in supporting teachers by providing job-embedded professional development. Join us for this five-day training series based on literacy coaching modules that have been adapted by The Florida Center for Reading Research.

Whether you are a literacy coach, principal, or teacher leader, you will learn the necessary components, along with the essential knowledge and skills, to become successful literacy leaders and contribute to the improvement of reading instruction and student achievement.

Participants Will:

• Apply principles and practices that foster a positive school culture

• Apply effective methods and practices for coaching both students and adult learners

• Collect data on instructional practices to inform professional learning

• Plan, implement, and analyze literacy instruction based on the science of reading

• Reflect, plan, and implement literacy coaching

Prevent, Teach, Reinforce for the Young Child (Day 1 of 2)  

January 29, 2026

• ESU 10 - ADMIN
• Puncochar, Libbie

Challenging behavior in early childhood classrooms can disrupt learning and strain relationships—but with the right supports in place, educators can turn these moments into opportunities for growth.

This workshop introduces the Prevent-Teach-Reinforce (PTR) for Young Children model—an evidence-based, team-driven process for developing individualized behavior support plans for children with persistent behavioral challenges. 

This training provides a step-by-step framework to:
    * Understand the PTR model and its alignment with the Pyramid Model and positive behavior support practices
    * Identify the function of a child's challenging behavior through observation and data collection
    * Develop preventive strategies to reduce triggers and promote success
    * Learn how to teach new, appropriate replacement skills that serve the same purpose as the challenging behavior
    * Explore reinforcement strategies that encourage positive behavior and strengthen skill use
    * Engage in collaborative team-based problem-solving, including family involvement and communication
    * Review case studies and practice developing parts of a functional behavior support plan

Participants will leave this workshop equipped with practical tools to reduce challenging behaviors and promote positive outcomes—ensuring that all children are supported in inclusive, nurturing, and developmentally appropriate environments.

Toolkit for the Educational Identification of Autism  

February 10, 2026 @ 8:30 AM

• ESU 10 - SPED
• Reeves, Courtney

This interactive workshop provides an in-depth exploration of assessments used in the educational identification of Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD). Participants will examine both overall assessment approaches and tools specific to the three core areas impacted by ASD—communication, social interaction, and behavior.

The training will address identification practices from birth through age 21, including recognizing autism in girls. Emphasis will be placed on practical tools and strategies for evaluating students suspected of having an educational disability on the autism spectrum.

Educational teams will engage with a range of formal and informal assessment tools, participate in hands-on activities, and collaborate on developing a comprehensive body of evidence to support the identification process.

Registration Deadline: February 3rd, 2026

If you do not have an Odie account, you will need to request one prior to 
registering for the training. If you have questions regarding registration, please contact Denise Neill at 308-237-5927.